I saw some people fishing the other day in 16 degree Fahrenheit (-9 Celsius) weather at 4:30AM. They were not ice fishing with a little hut, but standing at the base of a bridge with no shelter or campfire. People are at that bridge fishing regularly when it is cold but that was the coldest temp I have seen so far. Why is it so appealing to them?
It can be an escape. I used to “fish “ even after becoming a vegetarian. I never used a hook, but would put bait on my line and feed the fish. It took me back to something I enjoyed doing with my father. He in turn did it because of his father, who did it because his family was dirt poor it was how he fed the family (my father used to feed us this way too when I was wee).
I am under if I would fake fish in harsh conditions, but I also love the cold… so you might find me under a bridge one day casting a line.